issue 25 // volume 43 life & style // no. ‘Wi

Coffee alternatives for caffeine addicts

> Keeping you awake, one cup at a time!

Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor

A sastudent, it becomes almost andatory that you become a

caffeine addict. With a readily available

Tim Hortons at both campuses, most

Douglas students have a tendency

to migrate towards the coffee end

of the caffeine addiction spectrum.

However, if you just drink coffee every

day and never mix it up, that bitter

taste can become stale really fast.

Dealing with caffeine withdrawal is never fun—headaches, irritability, not to mention the fatigue! If you're looking to swap your morning coffee out, here are a couple alternatives that are just as high, if not higher, in caffeine.

Black tea. Teas like English Breakfast or Orange Pekoe are actually higher in caffeine than coffee is, and are more than capable of staving off that pesky withdrawal. They also provide a milder taste compared to coffee, which can be nice in the mornings.

Green tea. It seems weird to have two different types of teas on this list, but because the caffeine content of each is so radically different, they each deserve

All work and no play...

> How to maintain your sanity throughout semesters

Megan Jewell Contributor

hroughout the semester I often

find that a student’s basic needs are not being met, whether they be maintaining a good sleeping schedule, having enough nutrition, getting physical exercise, or maintaining relationships.

Whether youre taking two classes or six, there are certain times throughout the semester when you block everything out and strictly focus on your school work. Now, it’s easy to see how laundry doesn’t get done, how those Friday nights out no longer happen, and how Netflix and chill dates are replaced with colour-coding your planner for the week ahead. It’s difficult to maintain good grades and a good appearance, work out, eat healthy, work, and enrich social friendships all at the same time. There’s a lot of planning, running around, and simply a lot of stress. Here’s a couple ideas that might help you out.

I know planners aren't cool and not necessarily a fashion statement, but they'll make your life 10 times easier. When you are able to write down your weeks ahead— appointments, car insurance due dates, plans with your friends—it’s all right there in front of you. You no longer have to go to class asking three different people about today’s lesson or assignments, because you can flip to this week and youre set! Maintaining that management and keeping your stress levels low is extremely difficult, and this way you have a better idea of what’s going to happen, what to expect, and, quite honestly, where you should be when you're lost as balls.

I don't know about you, but I set

special attention. Green tea has the most caffeine content of any tea or coffee, so it’s great if you're feeling particularly sluggish. Green tea in itself doesn’t have avery strong flavour, so people tend to add honey or lemon to it, which can be great for your throat if youre feeling under the weather. Green tea also boosts your metabolism, which is nice if you're trying to lose weight or if you had a particularly big breakfast. One warning, though; because of the high caffeine content, green tea is a diuretic, so don't be surprised if you all the sudden have to pee a lot more frequently than usual. Mountain Dew. If you play a lot of video games, then the connection between Mountain Dew and caffeine should be old hat. As the myth goes, gamer gremlins would down bottles of the stuff in order to pull all-nighters while remaining at peak performance levels in terms of reaction time. I won't sugar coat it—Mountain Dew contains so much caffeine it is extremely unhealthy. But as I always say, everything in moderation! If you just need an extra little boost during the day, or something to keep you awake while going over notes for your finals, then this might be the answer for you.

€¢ Planning ahead in the little ways can make a big difference in the morning and for your overall mood.

10 alarms to go off in the morning. Snooze snooze snooze. Eventually, I'll get up an hour later and find myself running around the house trying to get everything together. Books, planners,

binders, clothes, food, my phone... it’s very overwhelming at 6:30 a.m. So the lesson here is to pack, or at least get your things ready, the night before. Pick out your clothes for the next morning, pack

Image via givesimple.com

Illustration by Ed Appleby

your lunch, get all your papers together in one general area. Planning ahead in the little ways can make a big difference in the morning and for your overall mood. Now I don't know about you, but I’m always hearing about how essential exercise is. It’s good for your circulation, heart health, mental health, muscular growth, and development. Despite all the positives from physical exercise, there’s nothing that can motivate you to hit the gym once you've already done a 12-hour day. So here’s a little cheat that I do. Instead of taking the elevator at school, take the stairs. Maybe it’s only five minutes of heart health, but it’s an easy thing to do to get your body moving and activating those chemicals that will help promote a better overall mood. Sometimes when you've got three different projects, two assignments, and then finals, it’s really difficult to sit there and be like “Oh yeah I’m all good, not overwhelmed, stressed, or exhausted. Even though I haven't showered in three days, I’ve run out of clean socks because I don’t have time to do laundry, there’s a stain on my shirt, and this is my fourth cup of coffee—but no, I’m totally fine!” Breathe! Relax! Inhale. Exhale. Sometimes when youre running around, it’s difficult to look up and see the big picture. You’re working hard towards your future, and it ll all pay off. Think about what it will be like when you're done your finals—you can get wasted and not do homework all weekend, and you can go camping without bringing your binders. You can finally sleep in past 6 a.m. and no 8:30 a.m. classes! In the big picture of things, youre doing an excellent job, whether you have stains on your shirt or not.